Marriage For One

“What’s your name?” she asked, leaning over the back of her chair.

“Rose.”

“It’s a pretty name. You’re pretty, too.”

My heart melted. “Thank you. You’re so sweet. What’s your name?”

“Sierra.”

“Really? I had a friend named Sierra in college. It’s a beautiful name, just like you.”

The pretty blue-eyed Madison touched my arm, and I turned to her. “I really like your dress. Was it a lot of money?”

“It was a gift to me. Maybe when you’re a little older, you can buy something like this, something shiny.”

“Who bought it?”

Thinking I would point Jack out, I looked over my shoulder. I was assuming he would have his back to me since that was how I’d left him, but he had switched places with his friend and was talking to him while facing me. He glanced my way over his friend’s shoulder and our eyes met.

I bit my lower lip and turned to Madison. “You see that guy over there talking to the man wearing a navy blue suit?”

Both girls craned their necks to see who I was talking about.

“Which one? The old one?” Sierra whispered.

I looked back again and got caught in Jack’s gaze. Since he was already looking our way, even though I could see his mouth moving as he talked to his friend, I pointed at him with my finger so the girls could see him. “Not the old one, the one in front of him. He has blue eyes and he is looking at us.” Turning back to them, I asked, “Did you see?”

The girls giggled loudly.

My head whipped back to Jack, but he was focused on his friend. I also noticed a few other people from the tables around us sending me disapproving looks. I couldn’t understand why, so I ignored them. “What? What is it?”

“He winked at us,” Maddy said, still grinning. “He is so big.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” Sierra asked, now sitting sideways on her chair.

“He is my…husband.” I touched her nose with my finger.

Her grin got bigger.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Maddy chimed in. “I’m too young.”

“Believe me, you’re not missing out on anything.”

“Boys can be stupid sometimes,” Sierra added, nodding.

“Yeah, so stupid, and jerks, too,” I admitted. It was something they’d learn soon enough.

When they started to giggle again, I started laughing with them, not caring that more heads had turned our way this time.

“You tell your husband he is stupid, too?” Maddy whisper-yelled.

“I told him he was a jerk tonight, right before we walked in here.”

Both their eyes got huge. “You didn’t!”

“I did.” I shrugged. “He was being a jerk so I told him to stop it.”

“But he is so much bigger than you.”

“He is pretty big, isn’t he? Well, it doesn’t matter. Just because he is big doesn’t mean he gets to be a jerk.”

Sierra nodded enthusiastically. “He is kinda cute, though.”

“Yeah, cute,” Maddy mumbled.

As I was about to say something, I felt a hand clasp my wrist and pull me up not so gently. Surprised, I gasped and almost lost my balance.

“You’re embarrassing us,” Bryan hissed, leaning in close and pulling me toward him at the same time.

I tried to jerk my hand away, but his hold on me was tight and was starting to become painful. My brows drew together as I met his eyes. “What are you doing?” I whispered in confusion when I could find my voice again. Before I got an answer, I felt a broad chest pressing against my back, and just like that, Jack’s hand was on Bryan’s wrist. I didn’t know how much pressure he was applying, but Bryan let go of me immediately.

Acting like nothing was wrong, my cousin looked around and smiled. “Try to control your wife, Hawthorne.” Then, pushing one hand into the pocket of his pants, he strolled away from us.

Confused, hurt and more than a little surprised, I just massaged my wrist.

That broad, warm chest that was plastered behind me moved slightly so he could lean down and whisper into my ear. “What did he say?” he growled, and that gravelly voice did things to me—lots of things.

I let go of my wrist and involuntarily pressed myself back, absorbing more of his heat so I could whisper back. “Nothing.”

“Rose—” he started in a low voice, his palm pressing against my stomach, keeping me in place.

Keeping me with him.

“It’s okay,” I interrupted, looking over my shoulder and into his eyes. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything else.

I remembered where we were—or more importantly, who I had been talking to just a few seconds earlier—so I turned back to the girls, who were staring up at us in confusion.

“I’m sorry about that,” I apologized, shifting in place and facing them again. Jack stayed glued to my back, moving his body with me. It probably should’ve bothered me, his closeness, but I would’ve been lying to myself if I’d said it did. His hand curled around my waist and gave it a squeeze.